Ai Konungrs WyrdaA King's Fate By: Quickassilver
by quickassilver
Summary: My Book IV in the inheritance cycle. Eragon tries to lead the varden, elves, and dwarves to victory against Galbatorix. The green dragon egg hatches. And Galbatorix tries desperately to hold on to the power he has gained.
1. Prologue: Chasing Shadows

Prologue: Chasing Shadows

Eragon woke with a start in the middle of the night. Sweat clung to his body and was dripping onto his bed. He woke panting and with his mind alert. Dreams about Oromis' death had been plaguing him since he was killed by Galbatorix through Murtagh. But that was not what worried him most, what troubled him was that when his tutor was falling dead to the ground he had appeared to be muttering a phrase under his breath. Now he was worrying if he had missed his dying words and if they might have been a key to overthrowing him. Possibly how to find the dark king's true name without his spells killing him when he tried to use it.  
He had been trying to read his lips to figure out what he was trying to say but to no avail. Surely Glaedr would know but he was hiding deep within his eldunarí. Worrying had become a bad habit of Eragon's since he had been given the task to kill Galbatorix had been passed to him. He didn't dislike having this responsibility and he knew others would love to be in his position, but it was just overwhelming at times. If he had missed something as important as a secret to kill the king he knew he wouldn't be able to just forget about it; let alone all the people who were depending on him to save them from Galbatorix.  
It was three days since his master had been killed and he was still in mourning for them. Nasuada had decided to let him gain control over his emotions instead of putting him to work stopping riots within the city. His help would have been appreciated but she knew he needed rest before going to Drás Leona. She had accomplished much since she had taken control of the Varden and Eragon knew it had not been easy for her. Thankfully Nasuada decided to give him a break from the crowds and his rider duties so he could regain his composure from his masters' deaths.  
Deciding to go back to sleep, he said, "Vakna", and placed himself in an enchanted sleep. Tomorrow Eragon was going to be busy again, as well as Arya and the other elves. They were going to help clean up the city and comfort the people there. The Varden had already started rebuilding the city and clearing out the number of dead within the city.  
The governor of Feinster Lady Lorana was being treated with respect as Nasuada had ordered the Varden to. She was having a hard time coping with the fact of the empire's ignorance of the Varden's attempts to help them. But then again, warriors on her orders had attacked and slaughtered masses of their friends and families. It was not their fault but the king's? Yet what could people within the empire's borders do? If they revolted the king could just slaughter them all with magic and there were those that were loyal or subservient to him.

Fear was proving to become one of the Varden's biggest enemies. Lack of courage is what was causing people to help the empire and give their lives to the king. Fear of death, or a difficult life was driving people to murder other humans when they normally would not have. Also fear of the supernatural, of magic and elves that lived forever if not killed and were so much more powerful than humans. An invader of their homeland is what the people of the empire saw the Varden, dwarves Urgals, and elves as. It was the elves were feared the most because of their immortality and unique gifts.  
Fear was also undermining the courage of her soldiers, especially those who had just started fighting for them because of a new Dragon Rider. King Orrin's soldiers were even more afraid than her men because they had not yet become used to the constant war. The brutality of seeing men being ripped apart by Urgals, magic, dwarves, elves, and other men scared them. Saphira was also a terror to behold, clawing men in two or attacking them with her claws or tail was simply nauseating. Not to mention when she burned an entire column of soldiers within seconds.  
What can man do against such reckless evil? There were men who would kill you in a moment without a second though and then turn to the man next to them and smile. Some reveled in war and the prospect of cutting through a sea of enemies. They wanted either the glory or fame of old songs. Then there were also the men who simply loved violence and enjoyed seeing blood spout from a person's body. What are their options except to kill or be killed? War is not for the faint of hear; when blood flows through the streets like rivers flow over a bed or rocks can be a sickening sight.  
But that was not what the Varden were fighting for and they had to make sacrifices if they were ever going to overthrow Galbatorix. What you need to understand is that the king is taking away your freedoms and he has caused more pain in death than a five or ten year war could ever cause. Your freedom, money, lives, and food are in his hands and he can and does destroy your life without a second thought.  
Eragon realized this and was preparing to take up his sword and fight through a sea of raging enemies for the dream of freedom. The shadows in his mind and the fears of possibly not hearing Oromis' last words were temporarily held at bay in his enchanted sleep. Yet the fears and the worries return upon waking along with his responsibilities. He was ready to sacrifice himself at a moment's notice for what is right as well as to avenge his family. That was the cost of freedom, death, and Eragon was willing to pay that price.

He was in a dreamless sleep, but the dreams were on the edge of his conscious. They were just waiting for him to wake up so they could take hold of him once more. Eragon was gifted and showed promise, but he loved too easily as Galbatorix would say. That was what he would consider Eragon's weakness. One of the reasons he was also fighting was so laws restricting magic could be put into place so another Galbatorix would not happen again. What scared him most was the fact that if he failed, all was lost. Yes, there was the chance of rescuing the other egg, but who except him could accomplish that task.  
These were the dreams and fears of the Shadeslayer. They were the worries that kept him awake and night and made fear and nerves writhe in his belly. Given just one more spark and he knew he would lose his temper. The stress was slowly wearing him down and the fuse was gradually growing shorter. If he lost his temper he would be killed and Saphira would be killed trying to avenge his death. One spark and his fuse would catch fire and slowly lead to the stick of dynamite that was his temper.  
If he lost his temper just once thousands could be killed, not to mention the king and Murtagh. He would use the anger, but the problem was if he did instead of Galbatorix or Murtagh on the throne it would be him and he would be no better. The havoc and chaos he could cause astounding. Not to mention if Saphira lost her temper as well and gained the ability to use magic.  
Those were the shadows of Eragon's mind that night, and so they were almost every other night since Oromis' and Glaedr's deaths. It had dramatically chanced his character and he knew after a thousand years or however long he lived he would never be the same. Within a year and a half his uncle, father, two tutors and mentors, as well as the whole of Carvahall had been either murdered or attacked because of Saphira. Yet he wouldn't have traded what he had with Saphira for all of that back. His life had been destroyed but he had also been given the gift and power to shape the future of Alagäesia. 


	2. Chapter 1: Funeral Plans

_Chapter 1: Funeral Plans…_

Eragon woke tired but better and more rested than he had been the first two nights after Oromis' and Glaedr's passing. Nasuada had requested an audience with him and he was resuming his Rider duties starting today. He was honestly surprised she gave that much time off, but she knew how special Oromis was to him and the thirteen elves as well. They all needed time to grieve after the Mourning Sage had died. He was one of the Dragon Riders in the council who had seen the evil in Galbatorix when he deceived the others. Now it was time to show the world he had taught him and prove that he was worth to be Oromis' final and greatest pupil.

It was his turn to show the world what he had been taught by one of the oldest and wisest elves to walk Alagäesia. Then the sun broke the horizon and something odd caught his eye. The sunrise was red and the sky turned pink and orange, it brought light to the world. What was unique was there seemed to be a silhouette and shadow of something that looked like a dragon. Though sadly it was not, it was the biggest Lethrblaka he had ever seen. He had believed the two Saphira killed and the two Ra'zac he killed were the last of their dying race.

"_Saphira, wake up. I need your help! We have what looks to be the king of the lethrblaka with a giant man on his back. Considering the scars on his body he looks to be a man without pain. Bring my sword and shield, I don't have time to come back and grab them myself." _Saphira could hear the panic in his thoughts and she too was intimidated by an even bigger lethrblaka. The other two had been hard enough for her to kill. Also the king would have placed more wards on them to protect against Eragon's eye spell.

Then Eragon contacted Garven and explained the situation to him so he could inform Nasuada. He also asked him to inform Arya and Roran of the situation as well. Eragon then returned his gaze to the giant and the giant lethrblaka.

Garven interrupted his thoughts, "Eragon, Lady Nasuada orders you not to engage until help arrives, and that is a command. Please don't do anything rash Eragon." Then he noticed that the giant on the lethrblaka was as big as a kull and was wielding a rider's blade. Whether that meant he could use magic or not it definitely leveled the advantages his sword would have normally had.

•••

Roran had been woken by the sound of fighting in the sky and dragon-sized roars in the air. He grabbed his hammer, shield, and spear; then quickly ran out to see what was going on. Surely Thorn couldn't have gotten his tail grown back so quickly. The king must have some caution because Eragon had been taught by Oromis and Glaedr, who had taught his biggest enemy before Eragon, Brom.

Not only had Oromis and Glaedr taught Brom, but also Morzan. Who was his first and most powerful servant. Now Eragon, Bromsson, and Murtagh, Morzansson were pitted against each other. Oromis had taught Eragon, and Eragon was already more powerful than Brom had been. He showed great potential and was quick-witted.

Roran then decided to help his cousin and Saphira as they fought. He yelled, "Man the ballistae, and aim for the gray looking dragon." They shot their arrows, but they all came up short because the lethrblaka could just fly above them. Then Eragon helped him out by sustaining one with magic and cast the first spell, the fire explosion upon the arrow as well. With the magic's help the arrow went the distance. It was a good shot, but the wards around them reflected the bolt back at them with double the force.

Now it was coming towards Roran's men with twice the force it had had before then, which was a considerable amount. Without thinking Roran said the words that had frustrated him for well over a month, "Stenr reisa". To his surprise a slab of rock moved and blocked the arrow…

Then he saw Arya and the elves and knew that it had not been him who had cast the magic. He was still as magical as ever, which was not at all. But then again, he did not need magic; he was after all a mortal who killed over one hundred ninety men in one battle.

Roran preferred his hammer, shield, and spear over magic. Pitting man against man with nothing but skill and strength was a challenge that he enjoyed despite the death. Seeing a pile of bodies rise before you are still a challenge, and his human nature enjoyed it.


	3. Chapter 2: Strength or Speed?

_Chapter 2: Strength or Speed?_

With Roran's distraction Eragon was able to devise a spell that circumvented the wards as he was able to see how they worked when they deflected his arrow. They were powerful but he was able to craft a spell that instead of redirecting the projectile it would use that power from the wards to increase the speed of the arrow. And best of all about it was that it used the wards own energy and cost him next to nothing. He muttered the incantation and then the next round of crossbow and ballistae arrows went through. The lethrblaka was able to dodge all but one of the arrows, which tore its left wing. The giant man either dodged them with elflike reflexes or cut them with his dragon rider's sword.

Then the man pulled out a bow the size of Eragon and began to heave on the thick rope. His muscles bulged and rippled with the effort but then it was loaded. The arrow itself was six feet long with an eight inch arrowhead on the end. He released the arrow and then healed his lethrblaka. Eragon's suspicions were confirmed, he was able to use magic. He was only able to dodge the arrow because of his elfin speed.

As soon as Eragon ran Blödhgarm arrived with Arya and the rest of the elves. They saw the Eragon's expression and knew that they were in trouble. However, they were skilled and had been able to fend off Murtagh with Eragon's help. Roran shouted to the elves to sustain the crossbows and ballistae's arrows with magic, so they could reach the lethrblaka. The elves increased the draw strength of the cords and so they were able to shoot farther.

A swarm of arrows raced through the sky and Eragon used his spell to circumvent their wards. While the lethrblaka was dodging the arrows Saphira arrived. She let loose a torrent of fire and landed beside Eragon. Her scales were sparkling in the sunrise, and the ground trembled beneath her feet. Eragon mounted her and told the elves he was going to engage it in the air.

An idea struck Eragon and then Saphira let loose a stream of fire. Eragon then used his skill with wielding fire to make spears and arrows of fire and hurled them at the giant magician. Then the giant in turn created a mini tornado that tore through the flames and knocked Saphira off balance. Before he could gain an advantage over him Eragon dove forward and said, "Fram".

With the magical boost he was able to get close enough to injure the lethrblaka. He cut off the membrane and then Saphira was beneath him to catch him. The lethrblaka was falling quickly and Saphira took her chance to breathe fire upon the giant and lethrblaka with impunity. His wards held for a minute and then Saphira was forced to pull up.

The fight had moved to the ground. Before the giant could dismount Eragon attacked him with Brisingr. However he was wielding a Rider's sword as well and had superior strength. They clashed in midair and Eragon was knocked five feet backwards. Then Arya attacked him while he was on the ground. The giant's Rider blade sliced through her sword in one swing and Arya was defenseless.

Then something broke within Eragon, charging forward he yelled, "Brisingr", and his sword was on fire. The lethrblaka tried to stop him, but was too slow and he decapitated it before it could get out of the way. Now it was Eragon versus the giant, strength or speed would decide the battle.

Weaving between his swings Eragon was able to get close to his body. With all his strength he swung his sword and the flames blazed even hotter. Within seconds of Arya's life being in danger, he had killed her assailant. It scared him how much power he had when his love was in harm's way. He knew that no matter how many people were in between him and Arya. They would all have been slaughtered.

Next time Arya was in danger, he would have to calm his temper or he would kill hundreds or thousands of people. He would take precautions, Oromis was right. He needed to put his Rider duties ahead of his love for Arya. This was one of the reasons he couldn't have a normal life. Eragon would have to learn to calm himself.

His tempter had already been short, and Arya had lit the fuse to the stick of dynamite that was his anger. However, he had learned something about himself that he hadn't known before. When he lost his temper he was very much like fire. Curious, he said, "Brisingr", but nothing happened. Though he did feel a slight pull, he guessed that Brisingr was part of his true name, but not in and of itself his true name.

He would have to learn to calm the monster inside him that was let loose when Arya was in danger. If not he knew that he could kill himself and thousands of others. The implications of what could happen if it had taken place in a full scale battle were staggering. Eragon knew he would have killed at least hundreds and most likely thousands. Also, the Varden were keeping their distance as they hadn't done sine his first time to Farthen Dür. They were scared of him, he realized with a shock. The people would never trust him as much as they had before. What they saw had scared them, as it should have.


	4. Chapter 3: What to Do?

Chapter 3: What To Do?

Roran woke up sore and with a killer headache, was what happened yesterday real, he wondered. If it was, the Varden had almost been destroyed by a giant and enormous king of a race they assumed to be extinct. The only question was whether if he had remembered accurately the part about Eragon going ballistic and killing both the giant magician and lethrblaka by himself. He decided that Eragon was the person who knew the most about what had happened as he had done it.

Soon he was at his cousin's tent and he asked Saphira if Eragon was awake. She told him that he was and he would like to speak with him as well. The sight of his cousin shocked him, instead of his happy self; his hyper and fun-loving cousin had looked like he had been given his death sentence. He thought that Eragon had been sad when he saw him after Garrow and Brom's death. Then when he had seen him after Arya had rejected him he thought he was at his worst. But this time, Roran could tell that his cousin had given up hope in himself. Even though the others had affected him, never before could he have prevented it. This time, it was he who had done the killing.

His cousin had scared him the most when Oromis and Glaedr had been killed. Instead of bouncing back quickly like he normally did, Eragon had finally snapped and lost his tempter. The aggression and anger that had been building since the evil king had destroyed his entire life had finally been let loose. He knew that Eragon would never forgive himself for losing control today, and Roran had come to help him as best he could.

"Roran, do you remember what happened yesterday? I lost control and could have easily destroyed people that were my allies. You don't know how close I was to attacking anybody within a league of me. I could have turned on the Varden and destroyed the only chance of overthrowing Galbatorix." Eragon's voice was filled with defeat and Roran knew that he wouldn't be able to help him.

"Eragon, if it helps any, I would have done the same if Katrina had been in danger." With that he turned and left. He asked Saphira to contact Arya for him. The elf was the only person who understood Eragon better than he did. If anybody could help Eragon regain his composure it would be her. She did and within the minute Arya arrived. Roran then left the tent to give them their privacy.

•••

To Eragon's s pleasant surprise Arya entered his tent. She looked as beautiful as ever and as always sent his heart into double time. The elf had raven black hair, emerald eyes, and honey-colored skin. As well as the signature scent of Du Weldenvarden, crushed pine needles surrounded her. Arya was a beauty even among the elves. Being the queen's only daughter also made her even more chased after by elvish men, but only Faölin had really caught her eye, and he was dead.

"Roran tells me that you're very mad at yourself. Eragon, everyone loses their temper. When Faölin and Glenwing were killed by Durza all I wanted to do was cut him to shreds. You killed the Ra'zac and got your revenge on them. But I know as well as you do that revenge does not make you feel any better about it. Instead it actually makes you feel worse because now you have stooped to their level." Even though Eragon didn't want to believe them, he couldn't deny the truths that were in her words. She said it tenderly and didn't blame him for what he had done.

"Thank you, Arya. I appreciate your kind words. You were kinder than you should have been, it was a grave mistake killing them so rashly and giving in to my anger." He was able to look her in his eyes when he said this. Realizing and acknowledging a mistake was the first step to fixing and learning from the errors of past experiences.

"No thanks necessary. You comforted me when I lost my composure at that night by the campfire. It is only right that I should do the same for you. That's what friends are for are they not?" With those words she left the tent and left Eragon to himself. He appreciated her kindness and recognized that he shouldn't blame himself. It was a mistake, but blaming solved nothing.


	5. Chapter 4: Misery's Slave

_Chapter 4: Misery's Slave_

Murtagh awoke from the only comfort he had, his dreams. All of his life had been filled with pain since he had been born, and his only escape was his own mind. Which was why he had learned to protect it so vigorously? Even with those precautions Galbatorix could read his mind by using his true name against him. Though, Murtagh had finally found a way to conceal some of his thoughts. Galbatorix had not noticed that he had been slowly trying to change a part of himself.

His true name had been found out by Galbatorix, but he could feel that he was slowly changing into a different person. Soon he wouldn't have to subject himself to the king's wishes. He was so close to freedom that he could taste it on his lips. Yet, he wasn't there yet, and if Galbatorix caught him all would be lost. "Just about another week or two and he won't be able to control me, seven more days and he might be able to run." These were the thoughts that filled the young rider's mind as he was sitting in the king's palace.

Then Galbatorix entered the room himself. The king wore a crimson cape that was trimmed with black. He was roughly six feet tall, with muscles that rippled across his body. His eyes were black as well as his hair and beard. What was most frightening about him was the way he carried himself, he could kill anybody in Alagäesia and knew it.

It had taken years for him to reach the physical condition he was in; he wouldn't tire for over a week of constant fighting. Also, since he gained the eldunarí hoard after his battle against the Riders, he had been able to become much more powerful magically. Not even Vrael could defeat him in battle, but Eragon was becoming more powerful and he knew that if he gave him much more time that he would be difficult to kill.

"Ah, Murtagh, the Rider who had to be rescued by his master; you seem to be feeling better today. How is Thorn healing? If there are any complications at all I am willing to help you." Flowing from the king's mouth, the words came smoothly and carried an evil air about them. You could hear in his voice that it was powerful, yet at the same time could be very deceptive if he wanted it to be that way.

"Thorn is healing very well, and should be able to fly in roughly two weeks. I am doing all that can be done to speed up the process, but he was very badly wounded." The king listened quietly to Murtagh's report and then turned to face him again.

"I don't have two weeks!" He yelled this unexpectedly and the room shook with his voice. "The giant man without pain and the last lethrblaka were just destroyed by Eragon. They were my best warriors aside from my specially trained assassins, me, and you. My army needs you to lead it; they don't trust me enough to do what I tell them. But you, Murtagh, were once one of them. You know what it's like to be treated unfairly and that's why they listen to you when you talk to them."

Murtagh responded, "If you are so afraid of your army getting killed, then fly out yourself. Show them the power you have, the reason they should fear you. Why should I do your work for you when you can control them by showing them that you are still the powerful man that killed the Dragon Riders? Galbatorix can be feared again if you show them you are more powerful than the Varden." Galbatorix then turned to him.

The king turned and said, "Be quiet Sündavar abr Zar'roc, you shall not defy my plans!" To his surprise Murtagh continued to talk. How can he have changed his true name without him knowing? He had lost his hold on him and now he could turn against him.

Within seconds Murtagh realized that the king could not control him anymore. Jumping at his chance to escape he yelled to Thorn with his thoughts, "_Can you get me out of Uru'baen? Even if you can't direct yourself can you get me away from this city? We're free he doesn't know my true name. It changed and we are free to do as we please."_

_ "I can try and fly us out of the city and south. If we can get to a city we may be able to find a way out of the Empire from there." Then Murtagh heard the pounding of a dragon against the stone of the palace. _Thorn burst into the room and let loose a stream of fire. He heard the ancient language being muttered.

Then magic was holding him and Thorn in place. The king had cast a spell on him, and he could do nothing to prevent him from being held captive by Galbatorix. Imagining the king flying through the air as he was hit by a ball of fire took hold in his mind. Without uttering a single word, he watched in surprise as a ball of fire smote the king in the chest and sent him flying backward.

Whatever spell the king had used to hold him in place was broken and he ran towards Thorn. Yelling at the top of his lungs, "Fly freely Thorn, we are at no man's mercy but ourselves!" they left the king's domain and flew away from him.

Without warning, Shruikan came from outside of Uru'baen and let loose a roar. The king's black dragon had been out hunting and had returned. Before Thorn could get out of the way, the black dragon rammed him with all of his force and Murtagh knew no more of what happened that day. He forgot about it and had no recollection of what had happened.


	6. Chapter 5: Mission of Importance

_Chapter 5: Mission of Importance_

_ Eragon awoke to the sound of a voice outside his tent. Whoever it was appeared to be talking to Saphira to try and convince her to wake him. He put on a sapphire blue tunic and his brown leather pants and walked outside with Brisingr strapped to his waist. "Shadeslayer, Nasuada requires to speak with you. She says it is urgent and requires your immediate attention. Whatever it is, this mission has our leader on the edge of her seat. I would guess that she is much stressed and could some assistance." The messenger was a girl about the age of fifteen and had light blonde hair with a heart-shaped face. She was very pretty, but obviously nervous about talking to a Dragon Rider._

_ "I would be glad to come and help Nasuada with whatever needs done. Her problems are my problems; she should know that by now. Are you going to take me to her tent?" He smiled at her as he talked. His warm tone set her at ease and she was finally able to relax._

_ "Yes, I am to show you where she is staying. Isn't it a wonderful day today? The sun is out, the air is clear, and none of the awful fighting that I have become used to since living with the Varden. War is a stain upon the earth, and the day cannot come soon enough when it is over." In fact, it was the nicest day they had seen in a long time. Her words rang true in his head, and reminded him that he was one of the people who could end this war. It was his duty to return Alagäesia to the way it should be._

_ "Truer words were never spoken. Riders hate war more than most everyone else, but it is my duty as was my predecessors to fight the battles in the land. We do not learn to fight with swords and magic because we enjoy it, we do it because it is what we were born to do. When I lost my temper the other day when Arya was in danger, you have no idea how angry I was at myself. Everybody makes mistakes, but since I am a Rider my mistakes can cause much more damage." They came to an abrupt halt in front of a big pavilion set up in the center of Feinster. He entered the tent after the Nighthawks had announced his presence. Lady Nasuada looked the most stressed out that Eragon had ever seen her. Again and again, she was looking over the same pages, trying to solve some dilemma for the Varden. She looked at the end of her rope and Eragon knew that he needed to do something to ease her frantic rush. Her arms had fully healed from the Trial of the Long Knives and there were scars that covered both of her arms. Jörmundur was still angry at her for accepting that challenge even though it had happened over a month ago._

_ "My lady." Eragon announced his presence to her. "What can I do for you?"_

_ Immediately her countenance darkened, "I'm afraid that I have a potentially dangerous mission for you. As I'm sure you remember the men without pain that we have been fighting I'll cut to the chase. The giant you fought was a man without pain, and our scouts report that there is a small army of roughly one hundred and fifty men without pain of that size. They shouldn't be able to use magic; however, I doubt anybody but you can slay them without suffering heavy casualties. And we don't even know if they can or can't use magic at that."_

_ "How far are they away from Feinster? Also, may I bring the elves with me in case there are powerful magic users with them? Eragon asked. He decided that if there were spellcasters among them it would be best if he had people who could help him. Caution, he had learned, could save your life more often than pure skill._

_ "They should be about eight hours march north of here, so it should take and the elves about three and a half to four to get there. I agree that they should accompany you, we don't know if they can use magic and they can help you if you get in trouble. It's up to you whether you leave today or tomorrow, but the sooner they are taken care of the better. "Nasuada's face looked relieved and she let out a sigh. "Good luck, Eragon. Remember that if you can't defeat them you have to run away and fight them another time. The Varden can't afford to lose you."_

_ "As you wish, my lady I will leave tonight with the elves and if nothing goes amiss we should be back by morning tomorrow. If I cannot defeat them myself, I will back away and not attack them directly, but don't expect to run. I will do my best to delay them if I cannot kill them."_

_ "Do as you deem fit Eragon. You are dismissed." _

_ With that Eragon turned and walked out of the tent. He was surprised to find Arya waiting for him. "Hello Arya. We have been given a mission to take out a group of giant men without pain. Our scouts didn't know if they can use magic or not, so I asked if I could bring you and the other elves with me and she agreed. If that is okay with Blödhgarm and you?" Arya closed her eyes as she talked with the leader of the twelve elven spellcasters. _

_ "He says that he and the other elves are ready to stand with us. According to him, they should be ready to go in roughly fifteen minutes. I, of course will be marching with them and ready to assist where need be." Arya replied after she had spoken with him on the matter. "I'll go grab my things and meet you at the north side of Feinster._

_ After she had gone, he ran to his own tent and readied his supplies. He packed his shield, armor and food for two days into his pack. Saphira landed loudly outside his tent and the earth shook beneath her. She poked her head through the tent and eyed Eragon thoughtfully. "What are we waiting for? Hurry up and get my saddle ready Eragon." Within fifteen minutes, Eragon and the elves along with Saphira were on the march toward the troop of giant men without pain. Not knowing what to expect they came prepared for anything. The elves had decided that it would be best to attack in the dark when their enhanced eyesight gave them an advantage. They would attack tonight at whatever time they found the deadly soldiers._


	7. Chapter 6: An Interruption

_**Chapter 6: An Interruption**_

As Eragon and the elves left the Varden's camp, a pressure came on his mental defenses.  
Before Eragon blocked him Garven's thoughts broke through his defenses. "Eragon, two elves from Islanzadù's company of elves are here to see you, they asked me to contact you immediately. According to them it was urgent that they speak to you and Arya. Nasuada has agreed that she can postpone your mission if need me.

Two elves, Eragon wondered. The twelve elves that Islanzad

sent to the Varden were all he had expected. They had done an excellent job of protecting him and Saphira from harm since they came to the Varden. Why would the elves send an extra two to the Varden? What could be so important that she would let two probably powerful elves leave her warriors to deliver a message to him when they can communicate magically? "I'll be there momentarily Garven. Do you have any idea of what message they have for me? Other than the fact it is urgent and of importance?"

"No sir, but if I were to hazard a guess I would say it has something to do with elves or Riders only. The elves are waiting in Nasuada's tent for you. They are both male and look like tough fighters. One says he knows you, his name is Vanir. Does that ring a bell?" Why would Vanir be here? He had taught Eragon swordplay in Ellesmėra. He was one of Islanzadù's toughest warriors.

"Yes, he tutored me in swordplay while I was in Ellesmėra training. We were archenemies for a time before the blood-oath celebration." Just then, Eragon and the elves reached Nasuada's pavilion. Her tent was a brilliant red, but it was too dark for anyone but the elves to see clearly tonight. Vanir and the other elf that Eragon had not met before were waiting outside her tent next to Garven.

"May good fortune rule over you." Vanir spoke the first line of the elven greeting.

"May the stars watch over you. Hello Vanir." Eragon greeted him. "To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here tonight? Garven said you have a message for Arya and I." Vanir looked the same as he had the last time Eragon had seen him. The elf that accompanied Vanir had an unusually large build for an elf; he looked more like a lean but strong human than the skinny elves. He guessed that he was abnormally strong even for elves. His hair was a pale blond color, almost silver-white. His eyes were a light blue and his skin had a light complexion.

"Good seeing you again Eragon. I hope you are well. This is companion Olùróen whom I don't think you've met before." Vanir replied he spoke in the same tone that he had spoken to him towards the end of his stay in Ellesmėra, more as a friend than as enemies.

"It's wonderful to meet you. So what is this urgent message you have Arya and myself? Why did they send a messenger when they could have contacted me in a scrying mirror?" Eragon asked.

"It was important that you get there safely so they sent us to accompany you. Islanzadć has set the date for Oromis and Glaedr's funeral. It will be held one week from today in Gil'ead since they don't have time to go back to Ellesmėra. You and Arya both need to be there because Arya is the queen's daughter and you were his last student." Vanir replied in answer to Eragon's question.

"So Nasuada has agreed to let me go to the funeral, correct?" Eragon asked him.

"That is correct Shadeslayer. We need to leave soon if we are to make it there on time since four cannot ride Saphira yet." Vanir answered.

"Our provisions are ready since we are going on a mission. I just need to pack extra food since the mission was only going to be a day. The same if for Arya I believe?" Eragon asked her.

"Yes. Let us not waste time since we will have to avoid patrols. We'll meet at the northeast side of Feinster."

"Agreed." Eragon and Vanir said together and they all left the pavilion.

Eragon quickly gathered his things from his tent and went to the northeast side of Feinster. Arya joined within the minute and Vanir and Olćróen were already there. They ran in silence toward Gil'ead for a while. Arya ran next to Eragon and Vanir and Olćróen ran ahead of them next to each other. He had developed a new since of companionship with Arya since she had come to find him in the empire and he had comforted her that night around the fire. Then when Oromis died he had comforted her again. She had depended on nobody but herself for so long that it was good to see her opening up to somebody, and it was even better to Eragon that she had decided to open up to him.

Their little group ran until midday and then stopped to eat and rest. Since the elves didn't eat meat they had no need to build a fire. It was a fine day, the sky was a light blue and all of the clouds were a pure white color. The sky reminded him of when he was a kid in Carvahall and he used to imagine shapes in the clouds. Oddly enough one of the things he imagined most were dragons or Riders in the clouds from the occasional stories Brom had told him. Eragon was in the middle of wondering what it would have been like to have grown up with Brom when Arya interrupted him. "Something wrong, Eragon?" she asked him.

"What? Oh, nothing. Just remembering what it was like in Carvahall when I used to imagine shapes in the clouds as a kid." He said. Now it was hard thinking about Carvahall for too long because of the sense of loss that now clung to his child hood home. When he though of Carvahall now he remembered Garrow's death, and the imagined images of the Ra'zac attacking Carvahall. He imagined the people in Carvahall the Ra'zac murdered and Sloan's betrayal.

"Ah, do you know what I used to imagine when I looked up at the clouds? What I saw was Vroengard and the city of Doru Araeba. I had seen fairths of it and wanted to visit there, in fact I still do. That will be one of the first things I do after things settle down after this war." Arya said.

"I would like to visit Vroengard as well. But now is not the time to be planning vacations. We should get going again Arya." Eragon said.

"I was about to interrupt your conversation. Now it is time to run like the wind." Vanir spoke with enthusiasm. The elves quickly put away their provisions and relaced their boots. Then they were off, not following any roads. There was a cloud of dust that they kicked up because they were still in very dry almost desert-like conditions. They had probably covered roughly ten leagues already. Whenever they crossed a road the elves had to slow down so they didn't attract attention. Their little party would soon be mourning the death of Oromis and Glaedr at the funeral, and that thought kept them fairly quiet.


	8. Chapter 7: Consequences

Chapter 7: Consequences

Murtagh yelled as Galbatorix punished him and Shruikan punished Thorn at the same time. Eragon was wrong; Galbatorix is too powerful for me to escape his clutches. Though he was right that true names can change and that did free me. The problem is the king was still too strong for Murtagh to escape him, even though he hasn't found his new true name yet. At least Murtagh could see a glimmer of hope if somebody could distract Galbatorix for a long enough time for him to make his escape.

Galbatorix spoke again, "Murtagh, how long will you resist me? It is pointless; you are only inflicting more pain upon you and Thorn. Is that what you want, Thorn to suffer? Give up, and I will stop torturing you Murtagh." As the king spoke he felt another wave of pain wash through him as Shruikan tortured Thorn. Galbatorix had devised a spike that attached to Thorn's tail. The black dragon used it very effectively and used his size to his advantage.

"Why would I give in to you? You can't control me anymore; I have my mind to myself for the first time since Thorn hatched. Do you really think I would trade my free will to escape pain? I thought you knew me better." Galbatorix then went to his table of torture instruments and grabbed what appeared to be seithr oil.

"This is my newest instrument of torture; it looks like seithr oil but actually doesn't completely eat away all skin. It leaves just enough intact that I can pour it down your throat and you won't be killed by it. I'll give you two options: submit to my will, or be tortured until you submit. What is your decision?" Murtagh thought it over, how in the world could he make seithr oil like that? He knew that he couldn't give in though so after about five minutes he answered him.

"Torture me all you want slime. I won't give into you and give you my free will. This is one of the first times in my life that I am free even though you have me in chains. Give me one good reason to give that up?" He put as much contempt and hate into his voice, which didn't take much effort considering how much he hated him.

"I had hoped I would not be forced to use this, but you have denied my mercy. My mercy has its limits, I will use this." Galbatorix walked up to where the slave rider was chained and forced his mouth open with a spell. Then he poured the liquid down his throat and you could hear the burning and sizzle of the skin being eaten away. Thorn roared even louder as the pain rebounded across their mental link. Murtagh then cut off their mental connection to spare him the pain and then he felt the full force of the torture.

He yelled so loudly that Galbatorix took five steps backward away from him. The king's hearing was as sensitive as an elf's as he had been a Rider for long enough to have all the changes taken affect on him. Pain had been experienced by Murtagh before, but he had thought he had reached the limit of the pain he could inflict upon his body without killing him. How wrong he was. Compared to this, broken arms or ribs were like scratches. All the various techniques of torture had caused him an enormous amount of pain. Yet the modified seithr oil was ten times more painful than the worst pain he had experienced. It was like comparing a river to the ocean.

Galbatorix watched the oil burn through him for ten full minutes before it had finally burned through him. There was a puddle of red tinted oil under him when he had experienced it all. Then the traitor king healed his insides and said, "That was interesting seeing that. I had tested it on slaves of mine until I got it perfect and I must say, the level of pain is impressive. Your scream was much more satisfying then the screams of my worthless slaves. How I love to see my work first hand. I ask you again, do you give in or must this continue?"

When Murtagh raised his head his chest was heaving and there was a new fire in the young Dragon Rider's eyes. He spit in his direction and practically yelled, "Go to hell." And then he muttered a spell that would immobilize the king. However since Murtagh had almost escaped he had placed more extensive wards around himself that protected him from more magic. Before he had just placed wards around himself that would prevent death and serious injuries. Since the spell Murtagh had used before when he almost escaped only knocked him unconscious and did no serious damage it had evaded his wards.

Now, however, his wards blocked almost every type of magical attack. He felt the drain on his energy; it was an impressive amount of force and would have worked on anybody except himself or another powerful Dragon Rider. Murtagh was soon forced to sever the spell because otherwise it would have killed him. It had exhausted almost all of his and Thorn's energy and that of the Eldunarí Galbatorix had given them. "I'll leave you to think on my question. Call for me when you have made your decision. I will expect your answer by tomorrow at midday." With those words Galbatorix exited the dungeons under his palace.

The Rider then stopped blocking his mental link with his dragon and was glad to feel his familiar thoughts fill his mind again. _"Thorn, I don't know how much more of this torture I can take. What do you think we should do?" _ Murtagh asked his other half the question. His thoughts were beginning to be as much as Thorn's yet sometimes their thoughts or opinions did differ.

_"Little one, I can last for as long as need be. All my life I have known pain, but I believe what we are doing is the right thing. My decision is we do not give in. Yet I leave the choice up to you."_ Thorn's thoughts were confident and Murtagh could see the reasons behind his decision.

_"I agree, let us hope that this war ends quickly partner of my heart. We both need rest though, even though it is the middle of the day I think we should both take a rest." _Then Murtagh positioned himself as comfortably as he could in his chains and dropped off to sleep within ten minutes.


	9. Chapter 8: Battle Scars

Chapter 8: Battle Scars

Roran went to Nasuada's tent as the messenger had told him. He now had roughly eight hundred men under his command currently. Carn had been able to stay in his company and he had also been given three other magicians named Joshua, Daniel, and Bridgette. She was the first female magician that Roran had met besides Arya, Angela, Trianna, and the other elves in Eragon's personal guard. She was the most powerful out of all of them and Joshua was stronger than Carn. Daniel was the third strongest and was almost as quick-witted as Carn was. Though he still trusted Carn the most because he was the quickest thinker and that was what was supposedly most important in magician battles.

He had three captains under him who commanded two hundred men each. All of them had a magician under his command. Their names were Sand from his mission with Carn where he killed nearly two hundred men, Mardrick whom he had never met before, and Kevin who had been advancing quickly through the ranks. Sand's magician was Joshua, Harry's magician was Bridgette, and Mardrick's was Daniel. Roran also led a group of two hundred and Carn was his magician. They had added men to the group that Roran fought with at the battle where he had defied orders.

Nasuada had sent a messenger to him this morning and he was to be leaving on a mission with two other commanders who had groups about the same size as he did. The only thing the messenger knew was that he was to be gone for roughly a week to two weeks depending on how the battle went. Roran walked quickly through the city as he did not want to be late for his audience with her. He approached her pavilion at the same time the other commanders did.

They all approached the Nighthawks who were on duty and they announced that Roran Stronghammer, Sand, Harry, and Bridgette were there to meet with her. She told them to let them pass and they entered. Harry was a man about the same height as Roran, but not as muscular. He had light brown hair and had pale skin. Mardrick on the other hand was shorter and had blond hair. The feature that dominated him was light green eyes and the scar on his left cheek. He was thicker than Mardrick yet not as muscular as Roran was.

Nasuada was at her desk and had a map spread out across the table. "Good, you're all here." She said. Her arms had healed completely yet the scars were her most dominant feature other than her almost pure black skin. "Please sit down commanders. I have a very important mission for you. You are all very skilled and that is why I have chosen to have you lead this important mission. Eragon was going to be sent on this mission so know that it will be extremely dangerous and you must use caution."

All of them looked at her with a blank expression on their face when they heard that this mission was going to be completed by a Rider. "You are to march north along the Jiet River toward Belatona. Roran will be in the front with Harry on his left and Mardrick on the right. Sand will be behind you because he is experienced and can direct the battle from there. I am putting Roran in this mission because the Varden have taken a quick like to him and they love him almost as much as Eragon. Roran, listen to Sand and Mardrick's advice when you are about to engage they are both experienced and have been among the Varden for a long time. The enemy you will engage is here." She pointed to a large hill about halfway in between Feinster and Belatona.

"How many of them are there, my Lady? We need to know how many we are fighting, and why you were going to send Eragon other than the fact it is a highly dangerous mission. So please give us an answer, we need to know what we're going up against?" Roran spoke confidently, but was also respectful to her at the same time. He had a valid point as the leader of this mission to ask questions like this.

"There are going to be roughly one thousand five hundred of them, but they are all unnaturally tall. They are slightly smaller versions of the man Eragon fought. Our scouts had no magic users among them so we do not know if they are magicians or have magicians among them. I will send add five more relatively strong magicians to bolster your ranks Roran, Harry, Sand, and Mardrick. Roran can decide how they are distributed. You have one day to get ready, you leave tomorrow at dawn." Nasuada answered Roran's questions.

"Yes, my lady." They all replied in unison. Roran decided they should go to Trianna and figure out which magicians were being added to their ranks, and the strengths of those magicians. He wanted to see her also because if it turned into a wizard's duel he needed to know how to direct that as a commander.

They shortly arrived at her tent, the headquarters of Du Vrangr Gata. He asked if he could enter into the tent and a female voice allowed him to enter. "Ah, Roran. It is excellent that you got here so quickly. I need to assign you five magicians; I already have ideas of who I want to send. You can meet them and if you don't like one of them just tell me and I can find another one."

"Thank you, Trianna; that would be extremely helpful." Roran said. Trianna then left and reentered her tent within five minutes. Trailing her were five magicians. They were all male except for one female with long brown hair.

"Roran this is Alice, Jordon, Richard, Stephan, and Brand." Trianna said. She pointed to each of them in turn. "Brand is the strongest of these and Richard is the most quick-witted. All of them are magicians except Alice and Stephan who are sorcerers and sorceresses like me." He looked them all over. Brand was the tallest and thinnest of them and he had red hair, a distinguishing trait. Richard was shorter and stouter than the rest and had brown hair and blue eyes. Alice was the female and Stephan was the only man with blond hair out of the group. Jordon was the second shortest and had black hair with brown eyes.

"These should be fine, thank you Trianna. I have one more question for you. Since they may have magic users I wanted to ask how you would direct a magician's battle or wizard duel as I believe they're called if you were leading this attack." Trianna's face lit up when she heard the words wizard duel.

"Tricky things wizard duels are, very deadly. If I were you what I would do is put the strongest magicians in the center of your ranks and put the weaker ones on the outsides or behind the more powerful magicians. When they attack with magic if they have magicians direct the battle the same as if it were any other battle and relay your instructions to the other magic users through Carn or whoever else you have with you. Let Carn and them make the decisions based on the strengths of their magic users." Trianna answered him with a smile on her face.

Roran thought about it and nodded, what the sorceress said made sense to him. "Again, you have my thanks Trianna. Well, goodbye then. I need to see to the rest of the soldiers I'll be commanding. I really do appreciate your help."

"So long Stronghammer." She said and he left the tent with Sand, Mardrick, Harry, and the new magicians. He then assigned Alice and Jordon to Sand. Brand to his group, and that left Stephan in Harry's group and Richard in Mardrick's. Roran's group of warriors had two more magicians since his group was leading the attack. He told them to assign them as best they saw fit within their ranks and then told them how they would engage if they fought on open ground, the hill, or if it was by the Jiet River.

He then dismissed them and saw to his own troops. Carn was waiting for him when he got back and he explained the situation to him. His most trusted magician agreed with Trianna's battle tactics and started to familiarize himself with the extra magicians. Then Roran addressed the soldiers under him and told them to prepare for a tough mission and to pack enough provisions for two weeks. Roran then spoke to his commanders and told him they were to gather provisions and march out immediately.

After he had ensured that his men were ready to depart he went back to his tent. It was almost night before he reached it. Katrina was waiting for him; her belly was beginning to acquire a slight bulge to it. She looked so much healthier than she had when he had rescued her from Helgrind that it was comforting. He smiled at her and kissed her. "How are you my love? He asked the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

She smiled back, "Wonderful now that you're here with me. When do you leave Roran? I know that's why Nasuada wanted to speak to you?" she asked him.

"Tomorrow morning." He answered. This was a sudden mission even for the Varden and Katrina was taken aback. "I know it's soon but it should only be two weeks at most and then I'll be back."

"It's okay Roran, I know why you fight and I admire you for it. That's one of the reasons I love you so much, you're not afraid to stand up and fight for what you believe in. Which is more than what most men can say." She said. Then she kissed him again, more deeply this time. He then pulled away from her which is normally not what happens. Usually they kissed until she ran out of breath.

"I need my rest, we leave at sunrise tomorrow." Then he kissed her goodnight and lay down on his cot and she joined him. "If it makes you feel any better about this, I give you my word that I will come back from this mission. Whether it is on my own two legs or not, I will come back alive. I could not bear to die before I see our child." Then he closed his eyes and started to calm down his mind which was filled with battle strategies he had come up with for the upcoming battle.

Slowly his thoughts slowed down and he was able to slow his heart rate. Then, gradually he slipped into his dreams and he slept deeper than he had in a long time. Right now he was at peace with the upcoming battle and the rest of the world, everything except the war was perfect for him. He could not deny that this was the happiest he had ever been despite his hatred of war and killing other men. His reasons were justified; Eragon had helped him to see that. He had less of a problem with killing than Eragon did, and he hated killing and war with everything in him.


	10. Chapter 10: Contests

Chapter 10: Contests

When Eragon woke up he was actually sore; it was one of the first times since his transformation he was not just tired but sore. The feeling was good, and it reminded him of long days spent on the farm in Carvahall. Today Saphira was competing in the riddle competition and Arya in the hand-to-hand combat. They were also holding the writing contest today, for that the competitors would be given an hour to write anything they wanted.

Eragon washed his face and then put on some of his nicer clothes since it was a formal occasion. When he was presentable he strapped the Belt of Beloth the Wise and his sword Brisingr. He walked out of his tent and the sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky. Arya met him and talked to him while they walked toward the place where the contests would be held. Almost all of the elves were already waiting there.

Islanzadć motioned for Arya to come to her. She said that she would have to stand next to her during the contests. He looked around the crowd of elves and went to stand next to Rhünon. The master smith greeted him and he said that the sword she had made for him was wonderful. She smiled and told him that it was her favorite of all the swords she had made. Not only was the sword extremely beautiful, but it was powerful and was being wielded by a powerful Rider as well.

Soon all the elves were in the clearing, the queen then walked to the center and said, "We have gathered here today to celebrate the lives and mourn the loss of Oromis and Glaedr. The contests will begin with hand-to-hand combat, then the writing contest, and then the riddle contest. Tomorrow we will continue with the archery, dueling, and magic contests. Then on the day after we will conclude with the art forms, whether they be a sculpture or a painting. The funeral will be held after that and Eragon Shadeslayer and I will give short speeches. Let us begin the competitions."

She then drew a large circle roughly five hundred foot in diameter in the sand. All of the competitors then gathered around. The queen drew a bracket out of her pocket and announced that the first match was between Vanir and Lord Dathëdr. Both of them stepped forward and met in the middle of the circle. They bowed to each other and the queen then stepped to the side of the circle. "We will begin on the count of three. One, two, three."

The elvish lord launched himself forward at full speed. Arya stepped lightly to the left and went behind him. Quickly regaining his balance, he jumped up to avoid her punch aimed at his back. Before he landed Arya jumped into the air and did a flip kick. Surprised, her foot was about to connect with his head when he caught her calf. Confused by the incredible catch, Arya and Dathëdr crashed to the ground without exchanging blows. Thinking that he was a tad slower than him Arya danced away from him.

The elf chased after her without thinking and fell into her trap. She kept dancing away from him whenever he was about to make contact and his attacks gradually slowed while Arya was hardly winded at all. Then the princess attacked, he blocked five of her charges before she broke through his defenses. With a feint to the right and a sweep kick Dathëdr fell on the ground.

She put her hands around her neck. The rules were that if one of them could deal a death blow or incapacitate the other the fight ended. Islanzadć yelled, "Stop! The clear winner of this match is Arya Shadeslayer." All of the elves gathered erupted into applause. Arya stepped out of the ring and Saphira let loose a roar in celebration of the excellent fight.

Just as the next match was about to begin they heard a roar in the distance. The sound was distant and the elves could only hear it because of their enhanced hearing, the dragon was much closer than it should have been able to get. Issuing orders to her army, the queen quickly ordered the army to their positions. Gil'ead was defendable, but they were not in the city and had no time.

As soon as he heard the roar Eragon got on top of Saphira. They took to the air and before the elves knew what was happening they saw the red dragon in the sky. From this height they could also see that there was a group of roughly two thousand of the giant men without pain heading this way. There were also a group of humans slightly in front of them with siege weapons ready. There were catapults and rams in case they had needed to storm Gil'ead.

_"Eragon, I don't like the looks of this. They know that we can easily defeat Murtagh with the elves help. There must be some powerful spellcasters among them unless they wouldn't attack."_ Saphira said to him. Eragon contacted the queen and told her of what he suspected. She agreed that they needed to concentrate on the giants if he could concentrate on Murtagh. Arya then contacted him and asked him to come down and get her. He could use as much help if he wouldn't have thirteen elves assisting him against Murtagh. She would be more helpful the closer she was.

When they took flight again Murtagh and Thorn were roughly one thousand feet away and closing fast. Saphira flew away as she picked up speed and height. They reached the same height and Saphira turned to see Thorn release a jet of flame. It was easily deflected off of Eragon's wards and his eyes met Murtagh's for the first time today. His eyes were filled with even more pain than the last time he had seen him and his face was haggard. Clearly Murtagh had endured a tremendous amount of pain recently or he wouldn't be so horrible looking.

He enhanced his voice's volume with a spell and asked what had happened. Murtagh explained that he had been able to change his true name, and that he had not been able to escape. The red rider who had known nothing but pain and misery from the day he was born explained the torture he had endured. There was an edge to his voice that had never been there before. Nothing could have made Murtagh so different except the torture and a change in his character.

The talking paused and Eragon asked if Galbatorix knew his new true name yet. Murtagh explained that he had not, but that he was being forced to fight because Galbatorix had Thorn's eldunarí which he threatened to break if he went against his wishes. There was nothing left to say between them, Eragon understood the pain that Murtagh had endured. Pain was not unfamiliar to him and he knew what it felt to be helpless.

Saphira then let loose a roar and a stream of fire. She surged forward directly at Thorn so she could get close enough to do some damage. When they were roughly two feet away from crashing into each other she let the wind catch her wings and got above the red dragon. His tail was almost fully healed but Saphira was still the more talented flyer by a good margin.

The sapphire dragon was just about to swing her tail down into the unprotected back of the dragon when she was stopped by a tremendous force. Eragon didn't know what had hit them before he too was hit by what felt like the hand of god smashing into him. The Shadeslayer was knocked out of the saddle and was falling towards the earth with nobody to catch him.

Seconds before he slammed into the ground Saphira skimmed the ground and caught him. Arya grabbed him and dragged him down into the saddle. Only when he was strapped in did she let go of his waist. Before they were prepared Thorn and Murtagh were bearing down upon them. Also coming at them was a small green dragon, just large enough to carry the skinny Rider who could be no older than twelve. Realization hit them and they knew what they were looking at. The final dragon egg had hatched for the king. Now Saphira and Eragon were truly the Varden's and elves' only hope of survival. No more Riders or unsuspected help would come to his aid. It was just him, Saphira and the other races against the largest and most powerful force Alagäesia had ever known…


	11. Chapter 11: Dancing With Death

Chapter 11: Dancing With Death

Eragon knew that he had to fight against the twelve year old boy and the small green dragon, but that didn't change the fact he was trying to injure a boy. Arya entered his mind, _"Eragon, we must not hesitate in our attacks. Though that rider is small he is most likely much stronger than he appears. If we lessen our blows against him he might be able to injure us." _While he was thinking about this Saphira was flying away from them so she could regain height. The small green dragon was gaining on them because it was so light it accelerated quicker.

The boy on top of the dragon had short blonde hair with dark brown eyes. He couldn't have been much older than Nolfavrell, maybe younger than Birigit's son. Then whoever was sitting on top of the majestic green male dragon cast a spell that was meant to immobilize him. As expected, he was very powerful; almost as powerful as Murtagh was when he first faced him on the burning plains. With Saphira and Arya's help he was able to repel the spell.

Thorn then came out of the clouds above him and dove towards Saphira. She dove as well and pulled up into a loop that got her above the green dragon. Her tail then swung down toward the dragon's unprotected back and then his wards stopped it. His dragon was more skilled than either of the dragons, but she could not avoid both of them for prolonged periods of time. All of the dragon's wards were wearing out and soon there were none left. Thorn had multiple deep scratches on his chest, Saphira one deep gash on her left foreleg, and the green dragon was practically unharmed.

Before the two dragons could wear Saphira down too much Eragon decided that it was time to see if he could bolster his strength with help from Glaedr's eldunarí. He asked Arya to withdraw it from the pack and see if she could speak to Glaedr about him lending them some of his strength. They flew higher into the clouds and the dragons chased them. To his surprise he felt a great boost of energy and he asked Arya if it was from Glaedr. She said that it was and that he would be helping them for the duration of the battle.

Invigorated with the energy, Saphira then went into an attack of her own. First she swung her tail towards the green dragon's back and she hit her mark. Thorn bore down upon them as she knew he would and she let loose a stream of fire which was repelled by Murtagh's wards. However she had just wanted to impair Thorn's vision while she flew closer. Eragon and Murtagh locked their swords when they were close enough. Murtagh was stronger than he was before, but he now had to fight both Arya and Eragon at the same time. When they disengaged he had a cut on his left arm while the two on the sapphire dragon's back were unharmed.

While they had a second to breathe he surveyed the battle raging below them. The elves were being pressed back by the giants; it appeared that the elves were losing ground and men more quickly than the empire's army. They had spellcasters that were strong among the giants it appeared. He located them and told Saphira to dive towards the battle; he needed a chance to help turn the tables. When they were close enough to the ground for them to be able to jump off safely he told Arya to jump off and take out the spellcasters that were at the back of the army. She jumped off and raced towards the small group of giants who were locked in battles in their minds.

Arya was close enough to them that when they noticed her, they had no time to draw their swords. Ten of the spellcasters dropped dead because of the distraction and it gave the elves enough time to dispatch them. Roughly six hundred of the giants they had their wards protecting were killed and Islanzadć's army surged forward. Before the giants could surround Arya she was back on Saphira and in the air.

The other two dragons were coming at them full speed and Thorn swung his tail at her and made contact with her back. Before they could react they were on the ground and Murtagh and the child rider both landed. Eragon and Arya were able to get off of Saphira before they were injured; it was now a fight on the ground. As fast as he could Eragon muttered a spell of healing to close the wound that Thorn had left on Saphira's back. It was not a fatal injury, but it needed to be attended too.

Murtagh yelled, "What are you going to do now Shadeslayer? Will you run away or stand and fight?"

"I'm no coward." he yelled back as he charged. Saphira had been healed and the dragons took to the air as Eragon attacked Murtagh. Arya engaged the other Rider as he fought against him. Arya had a slight advantage over the child because of her experience, but the boy had like Murtagh become abnormally strong in a short amount of time and was tougher than most opponents. Slowly but surely Arya gained the advantage over him and soon she had him disarmed.

She asked him if he would swear in the ancient language not to fight and return to Uru'baen in return for her not killing him. He agreed and swore the oath. The smaller green dragon then landed and the boy left the battle. When she looked at how the battle was going between Eragon and Murtagh she could tell that Murtagh was gaining the upper hand. Before she fully grasped what was happening in the battle she launched herself into the fight.

Eragon drew more energy out of the Belt of Beloth the Wise and he was soon out because he had been using it during the fight. Doing something he rarely did he then drew a small amount of energy out of Brom's old ring. With two of them attacking Murtagh he was barely outmatched. He was able to block all of their attacks but he could not get any of his own in. They heard a roar in the sky and saw a red dragon diving toward the ground quickly. Murtagh jumped on Thorn's back while the red dragon flew low to the ground and then he was in the sky flying away.

"What should we do Arya? I would chase him, but I think we are needed here." Eragon said.

The elf looked at the fight roughly half a mile away. "I think we should stay here and finish this battle without the elves sustaining many more losses." Islanzadć's army was doing better than before, but their numbers were not as many as before. Arya searched for the queen's mind and then told her they were coming back to the battle. She explained that they had driven off Murtagh and the rider of the green dragon.

Saphira then flew them into the fight and dropped them off by the spellcasters they had found earlier. Eragon took half of them on and Arya fought the other half while the sapphire dragon unleashed her fury on the giants. All of the magicians were extremely skilled, but they were no match for two Shadeslayers with one of them being a Dragon Rider. Before long, they defeated them and were able to kill the rest of the giants with magic.

As far as they could tell roughly six hundred of the elves had been killed in the battle, which was the most they had lost so far in a single battle. Clearly this army was meant to kill as many elves as possible while Murtagh tried to capture Eragon and bring him back to the king. If it were not for Glaedr's help he probably would have succeeded.

Please give me your comments and critique it is much appreciated. Tell me what I need to improve on.


	12. Chapter 12: Ruse

Chapter 12: Ruse

Roran and his troop had just reached the spot where the encampment of giants was. They were in a deep valley, clearly so that the enormous number of giants would be unseen. Before they ambushed Roran consulted with his generals and the magicians. With the plan set they split up into their squadrons and readied themselves for a most likely losing battle. Despite all the armies Stronghammer had seen this was one of the more formidable ones.

With all of the troops in place Roran told Carn to tell them it was time. Then he yelled, "For freedom!" All of the troops followed him as he charged on Snowfire; the beautiful white stallion outstripped the other horses easily. The other troops charged in, one on the right, one behind him, and one on the left. Just when they were about to clash with the giants, they vanished. Looking around, he suddenly realized that this was an illusion and they were somewhere else.

"Carn, get over here!" he yelled. His friend came running toward him as fast as his legs would carry him. "Send a message to Nasuada informing her that the giant army was a ruse, and they either don't exist or are somewhere else. Ask her if she has any other missions before we return and if we don't I will come back immediately.

The weak magician's face went blank as he communed with her. Opening his eyes, he said, "Nasuada says that she was just informed of a giant arm attacking the elves. Eragon and Arya are uninjured, as well as the queen. However, the elves suffered heavy casualties. She was unsurprised yours turned out to be a false trail. There is nothing else she requires of you and looks forward to you returning immediately.

"Thank you, Carn. This is indeed troubling news, that we can still be fooled so easily by the king is frightening. Already he has the advantage in strength and numbers, yet we still get tricked by him. I am glad that my cousin and Arya are alright; if we lost them our cause would be doomed. Move out troops!" he yelled at the end.

The men gathered their packs and loaded their horses up again. They began their long trek back to the Varden. Even though the Varden had been moving towards them, it was still a long march. Every single man looked crestfallen at the news and was moping along. Roran understood why. Disappointment never went over well, especially when you didn't want to do it in the first place. It was a relief that they didn't have to face that army, but still extremely dashing to the hopes of the men.

So, Galbatorix sent them after the elves. He wondered if the king knew about the funeral and that Eragon would be there or if he had just decided to take out the elves. If the king had found out about the funeral he either had excellent spies or there was a mole, the general hoped it was the latter of the two. Most importantly, Eragon, Arya, and Islanzadć had escaped unscathed from the battle. But with the elves weakened, the Varden was a sitting duck; they had been gaining more troops but they were still far outnumbered by the empire.

Carn then came over to Roran again, speaking slowly, "I nearly forgot to tell you the most important piece of news. The king has a new rider; there was a green dragon and a boy no older than twelve or thirteen at the battle. Eragon was nearly defeated by him and Murtagh but managed to survive."

Thinking out loud Roran said, "What!? A new rider, but that means that there are no dragon eggs left. Now Eragon is truly by himself, the lone Dragon Rider opposing the empire's three. This is not good news at all; Eragon was already hard-pressed to survive the fights against Murtagh alone." The magician left him alone with his thoughts and went back to his place.

Hoping that Eragon would find someway to defeat the overwhelming odds against him, Roran then got used to the constant plodding of the horses and fought to stay awake. It would be probably a half day or so march till they reached the Varden. Nasuada had said that the elves had taken heavy losses; he wondered just exactly how many elves had been lost in the battle. They needed the strong elf spellcasters if the Varden was to stand a chance against the King's forces.


	13. Chapter 13: Pain

_Chapter 13: Pain_

After the battle, the giants were cleared of the battlefield and burned. The elves were then gathered, and after long hours of work were ready to be buried outside of Gil'ead in a graveyard that they made. There were tall oak trees surrounding the area they had cleared, as well as many flowers that the elves sang into being. There were just over six hundred or so graves. Glaedr and Oromis, the last Riders of the old order would also be buried in the middle of the large graveyard.

Elves hold funeral games at the burials of important figures in their society. Many had died and Oromis was one among them who was particularly important to all elves. In three days time, the rest of the elves from Du Weldenvarden and the twelve guards for Eragon and Saphira would travel there. Only Gilderien the Wise and the elves that couldn't travel were left to guard the pine forest. Soon almost all of the elves would be gathered in one place for the first time since King Evandar's funeral a century ago.

Eragon and Saphira watched them arrive over the next few days and mourned the loss of Oromis, Glaedr, and the other elves that had died fighting Galbatorix. Among the dead elves were Narć and the other elves who had accompanied Eragon on his first journey to Ellesméra, as well as Lord Dathëdr. It was a shock to see the serene and peaceful face of the noble elfin lord. He was the most prominent of all of the lords he had seen at his first meeting with Queen Islanzadć.

The pain and loss he felt for all of them felt like dragon fire had burned out of all his feelings, leaving him empty, a shell of himself. Arya's pain was even worse than his own, she had known some of the elves personally; Oromis had been like a father to her after her own father's death. Even when the long stream of Eragon's tears began to slow, hers flowed fast upon the dry ground. Nobody could console her, but he tried his best to.

"How can this be right, Eragon?" she asked him. "How can watching your loved ones be cut down around you and not knowing what to do about it? I know our cause is good, but what can we do against such a powerful opponent?" Arya looked at him with the most painful look on his face that he had ever seen her wear.

"It's not right Arya. That is why we are fighting because every moment Galbatorix sits on his throne in Uru'baen he has the power to cause this pain. He does it too, I've seen some of the atrocities he commits, and Murtagh has witnessed it firsthand. Galbatorix kills without a second thought, and tries to find the most efficient ways of causing pain in his subjects. I cannot give up because I have the power to put a stop to it. Hopefully, you can find a way to put aside your pain and walk at least part of my path with me." Eragon said this all with a sense of detached feeling, knowing that it was all true but hating the path he had been put on.

"Yes-you're right, of course. We must do what we can to put a stop to this. I will give my help to you when I can Eragon. You must know that I would not abandon hope yet, and I thank you for the reminder of why we fight. It feels good to have somebody to support you when you can't support yourself." Arya said. Then, surprising even her, the black-haired elf leaned into Eragon and cried her heart out. She cried for hours, and Eragon did his best to comfort her as she let her pain be washed away.

Night had fallen by the time Arya had stopped crying and she liked up at the crescent moon that hung in the clear indigo sky. "Tomorrow we finish the funeral games we had started, and mourn for the loss of the elves we lost. As Dragon Rider and Princess we must compose ourselves for the funeral proceedings. You don't know how much this means to me Eragon."

"Arya, you are one of my closest friends, I would be a fool not to comfort you when you needed comfort. You would have done the same for me; it requires no thanks." He smiled at her. "I know what it feels like to be helpless, but my friends got me through it. What else could I do, but comfort you when you needed it most." When he finished speaking Arya leaned into him and before he knew it she had fallen asleep.

The Rider carried the beautiful elf to her tent, and then proceeded on to his own. Washing the salt from his face, he got ready for bed. _"Saphira, I feel like I'm falling in love with Arya all over again. Also, that she is coming to depend on me is frightening. Am I doing the right thing here, or should I let her seek comfort in somebody else." _He asked the partner of his heart.

_"Eragon, you are doing the right thing in this situation. Arya only has her mother, whom she has not really talked to and had a relationship with for seventy years. There is nobody else that Arya feels she can trust. You are the only person that I think she would consider a close friend. If you did not comfort her now you would regret it for the rest of your life. As long as you continue to act honorably I see no harm in consoling her, Little One." _The words that came across his mind rang true. It is always reassuring to know that what you are doing is the right thing, and it finally let his mind find peace.

"What I would do without you I'll never know. Good night Saphira, I love you." Eragon said as he lay down on his cot.

"And I you little one. We are joined for a reason, so hopefully you won't know what you would do without me for a very long time." Saphira said to him.

A farmboy, who had become a Dragon Rider and leader of the war against Galbatorix, then let his waking dreams overcome him. He walked among the memories of the battle he had just witnessed and those of Garrow's, Oromis', and Brom's deaths. His pain haunted him even in his dreams, but he did not let the pain overwhelm him. If he let pain overcome him, he would have given up when his back had pained him for so long. Eragon Shadeslayer would not have thought himself worthy to be the last free Rider in Alagaesia if he let suffering and grief for lost loved ones destroys him so easily.


	14. Chapter 14: Control

Chapter 14: Control

Murtagh looked around at his new room, or holding cell was more like it. There was a cot in one corner, and though there were not literal bars around him he was magically imprisoned in the room. In one corner, there was a small desk with one piece of paper and a quill and ink bottle. The other one held a device Murtagh had learned to hate; it was a device used for torture with shackles and leather straps used to restrain and a gag right next to it on an end table.

"_Thorn, will we ever get out of this mess? Even though we managed to change our true names Galbatorix is still managing to hold us here against our will. Eragon was right about being able to change our true names, but it won't be much longer before the king will guess them_ _again." _Thorn and Murtagh were still being kept apart when they slept, thus causing great strain and discomfort for both of them while at the same time making the king's job easier.

"_I don't know, Little One. I feel like we are close to freedom and can taste the edge of it on my lips. Still, with Galbatorix threatening to kill the boy if we leave I don't think we have much of a choice. If we cannot break free of him maybe the Martin can. Plus, if we leave he will only have Galbatorix to learn from and will be a potentially powerful enemy in the future. We must stay though it pains me too." _Murtagh listened to the words and he knew they were right. If he was soulless like Galbatorix he wouldn't worry about it, but he had a conscience.

"_You're right, as always. Speaking of escaping how is the plan coming along?" _Despite Galbatorix's best efforts Murtagh and Thorn still had enough time in their minds to start forming an escape plan.

_ "It is slowly coming along. The time I think we have the best chance of escaping is when Shruikan will have to hunt again. He could last a couple more weeks, but it would be uncomfortable and he will most likely leave in about ten days." _

Delighted, Murtagh considered the prospect of Shruikan again being gone when they tried to escape. _"I like it. So, how are we going to get past Galby? What my best idea was is telling Martin about the plan and having him as our decoy. Then we might be able to catch Galbatorix off guard like we did last time. The king will have more wards then he did last time, but we could still be able to catch him by surprise if we're lucky. Thankfully the last time we fought, the king only had wards up to protect him from a life-threatening injury, and we barely knocked him unconscious."_

_ "Yes, I think something along those lines will have the best chance of working. Shall you inform Martin or shall I inform Lanthanide of the plan."_

_ "I think I'll inform Martin myself. Martin is learning quickly from Galbatorix and has a very quick-witted and resourceful mind. He may be able to help us plan this escape as well. What do you think of him, personally I think that he has a good heart and can do what's right if given the chance." _The sun was just starting to rise, and he could just make out the glimpse of the gray pre-dawn through the slightly cracked door.

_"Oh, I quite agree. With his intellect he can help us plan. Martin is a capable young man, and he knows what's right and wrong. I just hope that he won't have to live his life from a child to adult as Galbatorix's slave. You at least were able to have some years before you were enslaved. However Martin has barely had a life to call his own."_

_ "It's true. I would feel absolutely terrible if we didn't do everything we could to help free him of his fate. Somehow I think it will all manage to work itself out and one of us will escape, but I just wish that the egg could have been stolen by the Varden. Now Eragon is even more outmatched." _Knowing that he only had a minute or two before Galbatorix showed up to give him his daily dose of morning torture, he lay back down on the cot and feigned sleep.

Again, he was correct and within seconds he heard the sound of Galbatorix's footsteps. Then Martin, who had a similar room to Murtagh's, awoke to the sound of Murtagh screaming. The twelve year old boy liked the older Rider and hated the way the king treated him. _"If only we could find a way to escape this twisted horror called fate. Thankfully he's only made me a name slave so far. Hopefully, this war will end soon, or we can find a way to escape this mess." _

After a half hour of constant screaming the noise subsided, and then Murtagh entered his mind,_ "Thorn and I have just come up with an escape plan. In ten days we will be able to make our move. Sadly, if we do escape I will have to put you in bonds to stop you from fighting me and returning to Galbatorix. Are you agreeable, Martin?"_

_ "of course, Murtagh. Ironically enough I was just thinking that we need to get out of this mess. So what's the plan?" _

Unknowingly Galbatorix was being plotted against, and soon he would find out just how tricky Murtagh can be_. _Morzan's son had already defied him multiple times, and had been punished for it dearly.


	15. Chapter 15: Stratagem

Chapter 15: Stratagem

Roran returned from the mission with his troops the day after they had found the illusion created by Galbatorix or his magicians. It had taken them almost half the day and all his soldiers were weary and footsore and returned to their tents when he released them. Nasuada had managed to move them from Feinster about half of the way to Belatona since he left. All of his troops were tired and would sleep well tonight. The camp was just turning into the early grey of morning when he arrived. With the Jiet River slowly beginning to reflect light, there was a small line of silver to the right of their camp.

Stronghammer took his commanders to Nasuada's pavilion; while he passed through the Varden's tents all he could hear was the quiet sound of steady breathing. Before long he was requesting an audience with Nasuada. "Roran Stronghammer and his commanders Sand, Harry, and Mardrick here to see Lady Nasuada." He announced himself and his subordinates to Garven.

"Enter." answered Nasuada in her usual voice. The Nighthawks were as vigilant as ever with the phrase "Vard Pömnuria Koma Ramr" engraved on their shields. Nasuada's tent was the same velvety red as it had been when he left. No more accommodations had been added since he left. Just the desk and chair she had as well as her bunk which was the same as his cot.

"My Lady. We have returned from our mission as ordered. You know the details of our mission, is there anything else we need to know before we rest?" "_Hmm,"_ he thought silently to himself, _"she seems to be healing quickly from the Trial of the Long Knives. This woman is intelligent, and has an incredible fortitude." _Her face was slowly returning to its usual dusky black, and was currently a deep shade of purple.

"Yes, you will have to bear with me a little longer Roran. Sand, Mardrick, Harry, you are all dismissed." Nasuada replied in answer to Roran's question. Stronghammer watched as his commanders left the tent, then returned his attention to his commander.

"We are halfway to Belatona and I and Jörmundur have started planning for the attack. Belatona is on the left side of the Jiet with Leona Lake directly behind it. If we are able to cut off the escape routes to the west then they will have nowhere to run but directly into our troops. King Orik has been helping me plan and has agreed that this course of action seems the best plan. My intention is having you lead the troops that will take the west side of Belatona. Orik's finest spellcasters and some of Nar Garzhvog's finest rams will be assigned to you as well. What do you have to say on this matter?" she asked him.

"It is an excellent plan and I am willing to lead the troops taking the west side of Belatona. Katrina and I will have a couple days together on our way there, and I was planning on having Elain tell her to stay in Feinster if she doesn't listen. She knows why I am doing this and I think she'll be amenable." Stronghammer answered. Nasuada nodded her head as he said these things.

"That is what I assumed but I still wanted to check and make sure. Sorry for the inconvenience of being sent on the mission, but you were the best commander I had for the job. Eragon, Arya, and Blödhgarm with his spellcasters are currently attending Oromis, Glaedr's, Lord Dathëdr's, and the other elves' funerals. It should last three days according to Eragon and he will not be able to leave until it is over. He wanted me to tell you that he's glad you're safe."

Roran smiled, "I'm not honestly that surprised that he ended up getting attacked instead of me. He is truly Brom's heir and not Morzan's, who else could get into as much trouble as those two? Still, the news of the child Rider is troubling. What else did he say about him?" he asked.

"Yes, it does indeed trouble me. The boy is supposedly twelve years old or so according to Eragon. Like Murtagh he is unnaturally powerful and his dragon's growth has been accelerated. Your cousin says he would have lost the battle if it had not been for his ring." she lied at the end. No doubt Eragon would be forced to tell him the truth if his cousin asked him, but the Eldunarí were a secret that was not lightly given.

"Really? I know Murtagh was unnaturally powerful, but that is indeed troubling news to have the odds even more in the Empire's favor. Thankfully Brom had that ring and Eragon had it with him. Brom was a good man, and from what I hear a very talented magician and assassin." Roran said. When he thought about Brom being Eragon's father he could not find a better man than the old storyteller. Eragon had always been more interested in the stories then he had ever been, it made sense.

"Yes he was Stronghammer. If it were not for Brom Saphira would be in the Empire's vaults or have hatched for somebody else. He personally killed off almost all of the Forsworn himself. A more talented and honorable man you couldn't find. Now go see your wife and get some rest Roran. You are dismissed."

Roran turned and left the tent. They sunrise was red, which signified that blood had been spilled. The Jiet River looked like Thorn's scales, glittering in the sunrise. "_Yeah, only six hundred of Islanzadć's elves killed. The giants would have slaughtered his men though. If those one thousand five hundred could kill six hundred elves and wound more than he would have been killed his troop would have been annihilated with ease. Katrina would never have forgiven him and yet to be born son would have grown up without a father." _He shuddered at the thought.

Then reaching his tent, he entered enter the warm welcome of his lovely wife. Katrina was starting to show a slight bulge in her thin chest. She was recovering from her imprisonment and looked almost like her old self. "You're safe. Thank goodness you're okay. I'm glad you didn't face those giants; I heard that they killed six hundred elves and wounded more. Eragon was there and could handle it, but it is frightening." There was relief in his lover's eyes and he was glad that he was here with her.

"It's true, not to mention the stories of there being a new Dragon Rider. The green dragon egg hatched for Galbatorix and he sent a twelve-year-old to fight alongside Murtagh. In the next battle I am leading a relatively large group of men Katrina. The fighting is escalating, I don't feel safe with you here anymore, Katrina. What I'm requesting is difficult, but we have to think about our unborn child. Go back to Feinster, take Elain with you too. I'm sure Horst would agree with me on this matter."

Katrina looked back with sorrow in her eyes and he knew the depths of her pain. The same fire that had entered his gaze when she was captured by the Ra'zac burned in hers. "I will do it on one condition Roran. First you have to give me a name for a boy and a name for a girl." Katrina replied.

"Ariel for a girl and Darién for a boy. I think I heard both in one of Brom's stories and the names stuck with me." His wife smiled and kissed him on the lips. Then they continued until they were both on their small cot.


	16. Chapter16:The Great Funeral of the Elves

Chapter 16: The Great Funeral of the Elves

Before long, all of the elves had gathered except Gilderien the wise, and a handful of other elves. The rest had come to see the funerals of Oromis, Glaedr, Lord Dathëdr, and the other elves that were killed. The contests were going to resume with the sparring. Arya had just defeated Lord Dathëdr, and was Vanir and Narć. Narć was one of the elves who accompanied him on his first trip to Ellesméra with Arya and Orik.

Islanzadć announced the contestants and the sparring circle made by a quick phrase in the Ancient Language. "Begin!" Islanzadć announced in her musical voice. Vanir waited and they stood there waiting for the other to make a move. Eragon was reminded of the many matches he had with Vanir. Narć made the first move by slightly crouching, and the silver-haired warrior copied the movement. The elf with hair like starlight then charged Vanir. His hair flew behind him with each strand of hair a fiery line of pale yellow.

Eragon watched and within seconds Eragon thought, _"As soon as Narć charged Eragon knew he would lose to the elvish warrior. In matters of combat not very many could match him in that regard." _The Shadeslayer or Lead Rider was not mistaken. Narć had tried to take Vanir out by tackling him, but Vanir had anticipated the movement and slightly jumped. He then landed on his back with perfect elvish timing and had his hands around Narć's neck. "The winner is Vanir of House Haldthin." the queen announced.

All of the other matches were not too difficult for Vanir and Arya. They were very skilled and before long they were the only two elves left. Queen Islanzadć went over the rules of the sparring finals. "There will be a total of three rounds instead of the usual one in the final sparring match. The first one to get to two wins is the victor. If there is a draw then the match will continue until we have a victor. Arya Dröttning and Vanir Haldthin enter the sparring circle now."

The raven-haired princess and the silver-haired warrior stepped forward. Both were calm and composed, as they had fought in many battles. "Shake hands." Arya's mother said. They did so and then moved each to one side of the five hundred foot circle. "Begin!"

Islanzadć's voice had been magically enhanced to encompass the whole of the large funeral gathering so it rang loudly in there ears and resonated for a couple of seconds too long. Arya made the first move and started walking forward. When she started to advance Vanir struck like lightning. Only because of the gift of the dragons did Eragon see the movement the warrior made. One moment he was watching Arya approach the next he was right in front of her swinging his left first toward her midsection.

The princess deftly parried the blow and they entered a series of attack combinations. Their two hands moved so fast that some of the elves could barely see what was happening. After roughly three minutes they disengaged and backed away from each other. _"Arya is doing well. It seems that they are evenly matched, but he knew that Arya had a slight edge of over Vanir." _

Arya then sprinted forward toward Vanir. He got out of the way and was behind her with his right hand about to connect with the back of her head when Arya swept her right leg behind her. Vanir tried to jump, but Arya's leg connected and he fell to the ground. Then Vanir had the princess' hands around his throat and the battle was over. "The winner of the first round is Arya Dröttning." the black-haired elf who so resembled Arya announced.

After a brief five minute respite they reentered the circle. "Round two is now ready to commence. Arya Dröttning leads with one round won. Commence!" This time Vanir didn't wait to see what Arya would do. As soon as the word begin left the queen's mouth he charged Arya. Eragon also noticed, _"Arya may be in trouble this round. If I know Vanir he was analyzing her every attack last time and has come up with an excellent fighting strategy."_

The sparring match greatly resembled what is known as mixed martial arts. It was a mix of wrestling and karate techniques with boxing and military-drilled precision thrown in. Vanir started with a leg sweep which was easily dodged. While the princess was flipping in the air he reached up his right hand and caught her foot. He had anticipated the jump and was ready for the flip.

Arya was reeled back into Vanir like a fisherman reeling in a big bass. Soon she was in his grip and the silver-haired killer had his right hand around her throat. "Vanir Haldthin wins round two of the final sparring match."

Again they had a short five minute respite before they reentered the circle. "Arya Dröttning has won one match and Vanir the second. This match will decide the victor of the sparring. On three it begins-One, two, and three!"

This final bout resembled the first round that Arya won. Each of them was cautious and waited a full minute before it began. _"They are both coming up with a strategy. Both have seen the other fight and are coming up with their battle plan. Arya is going to win this if I know her."_ he thought.

They moved at almost the exact same time, Vanir a fraction of a second after Arya. The princess threw a three swing combination with a head kick at the end. Vanir blocked them all and countered by jumping in the air, flipping, and kicking from behind her. Arya turned just as his kick was about to connect and blocked it. When Vanir landed he dove at Arya's legs.

As soon as Vanir dove the princess jumped and landed behind him. Arya's hair was in a tangle, and her black tresses were wind-blown and the headband was failing to hold it back. Islanzadć's daughter got her foot on the back of Vanir's neck, but before the fight was declared over Vanir twisted and managed to get out of the dire situation.

The black-haired elf didn't give the warrior a chance to get the upper hand and she jumped into the air. She soared ten feet with her black hair trailing behind her. Vanir knew he was in trouble and tried to roll out of the way but was too late.

Arya's foot connected with Vanir's chest and you could hear the sound of at least one rib shattering. A bone breaking is a loud kind of popping and this one was extremely loud because of the elf's extreme strength. "The victor of the sparring match is Arya Dröttning!" the queen announced. The crowd erupted and Gil'ead was filled with applause for the queen's only child.

Vanir's wounds were healed by one of the many elvish healers and Arya shook hands with the venerable warrior. Even Vanir knew when he was bested and said, "Excellent fight princess. You fight well enough to be almost revered as much as your father was." Arya nodded and her eyes started to water.

"Thank you Vanir. I appreciate your kind words." Arya then turned around and Saphira let loose a roar that shook the ground. "Well done Arya. That was a spectacular fight. Saphira sends you her congratulations as well, and if she didn't have to compete in the riddle contest next she would sit here and discuss it with you for at least an hour. However, she is competing in the riddle competition. On to see the riddle masters."

Arya smiled and there was no trace of tears in her eyes after she had talked with Eragon. They then walked back to the center of the funeral and watched as the riddlers came into view.


End file.
